This invention relates to single-sheet paper intended for use with a printer as well as to a method of using the paper. More particularly, it relates to single-sheet paper which can be printed on over a length corresponding to the entire length of standard-size single-sheet paper.
When using conventional single-sheet paper with a conventional printer, it is impossible to print over the entire length of the paper. The reason for this will be explained by referring to FIG. 1, which is a schematic illustration of a conventional heat transfer printer. As shown in the figure, a single sheet of paper 3 is held against the platen 1 of the printer during printing by a set of upper pinch rollers 2a and a set of lower pinch rollers 2b, both of which are in rolling contact with the platen 1 when there is no paper in the printer. By the rotation of the platen 1, the paper 3 is advanced in the direction of arrow A. Characters are printed on the paper 3 at a printing postion P by means of a printing head 4 and an ink ribbon 5 which is advanced in the direction of arrow B. To prevent slippage of the paper 3 during printing so as to obtain a clear printed image, it is important that the paper 3 be simultaneously restrained by both the upper pinch rollers 2a and the lower pinch roller 2b. Thus, the first printed line on a page can be no closer to the upper edge of the page than a distance Ta, which is the distance measured along the periphery of the platen 1 of FIG. 1 from the printing position P to the upper pinch rollers 2a, for if the first printed line is located higher than this, the upper pinch rollers 2a can not restrain the upper edge of the paper. Similarly, the last printed line on the page can be no closer to the bottom edge of the page than a distance Tb, which is the distance from the printing position P to the lower pinch rollers 2b measured along the platen 1. As a result, there is a region 3a at the top of the paper 3 of height Ta and another region 3b at the bottom of the paper 3 of height Tb which can not be printed on (see FIG. 2), and the area of the paper 3 which can be printed on is limited to the hatched region in FIG. 2.
If it is desired to print over a region corresponding to the entire length of a sheet of standard-size paper, it is necessary to employ fan-fold paper or roll paper. However, such paper requires a completely different paper feed mechanism from single-sheet paper, and it is thus troublesome and expensive to switch from single-sheet paper to fan-fold or roll paper. There is thus a need for paper which can be printed on over a larger region than usual single sheet paper but which can be used with a conventional single-sheet paper feed mechanism.